The Missing Ingredient in Your Interviews (Branding, Resumes, Networking)
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
I’ve interviewed many many people and have spotted the flaw in many of your interviews and more.
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I’ve interviewed a lot of people during my career, both as a recruiter, as a coach, and as someone who does YouTube videos. One of the things I’ve noticed over many years is that there’s something missing, that interferes with someone winning interviews, with being effective when they’re networking. It’s missing in their resumes, it’s missing in their branding and it really hurts you. Now, let me be very clear about what it is– your personality.
A quick story. Years ago, I was asked by a friend to speak to a woman who was number one in her class at Wharton. She had extraordinary credentials, great references, wasn’t getting anywhere. Had 10 interviews, no results. And as I sat with her and started to talk with her and begin a mock interview, I discovered pretty quickly that she had been trained to be ‘professional.’ She had been trained to be almost robotic, in releasing information to people. And the problem became that her personality never came out. Because all she was doing was being professional, like everyone else that was being interviewed.
Once I got that about, I asked her, ‘Who told you that you’re supposed to be professional and paralyze your personality.’ And she was kind of surprised. And I said, ‘try it. Just be you. Stop being this formal little robot and I suspect we’re gonna get more results.’
And she did. Six interviews, six offers, all because she let her personality out. Now, I’m not saying to be a jerk when you write a resume, when you’re in a networking situation, or any other professional circumstance. What I am saying is, there’s a way of being you that you don’t have to inhibit, nor should you. After all, if you go to work for an organization that kind of likes this professional thing, you’re in a cage, and eventually you’re going to want to break out of the cage because you’re going to feel frustrated.
Be you, be friendly. If you’re if you’re an introvert, be an introvert. It’s okay, because the right firm is going to want to hire you. Don’t try and act like someone who you aren’t be authentic. And, you know, I’m just trying to get you to open up and be more you.
And even if it’s recessionary times, you want to join the right organization, rather than go to a place where you’re going to feel constrained, handicapped, awful all day long,. dreading Monday morning, praying for Friday. It’s almost juvenile to behave any other way. So I’ll just simply say, let yourself out of the cage. Be you. Be great.
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. His work involves career coaching, as well as executive job search coaching, job coaching, and interview coaching. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2400 episodes.
Are you interested in 1:1 coaching, interview coaching, advice about networking more effectively, how to negotiate your offer or leadership coaching? People hire me to provide No BS career advice whether that is about a job search, hiring better, leadership, management or support with a workplace issue. Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us
My courses are available on my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us/courses The courses include ones about Informational Interviews, Interviewing, final interview preparation, salary negotiation mistakes to avoid, the top 10 questions to prepare for on any job interview, and starting a new job.
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